Soc chapter 3

I Am Canadian”: What Is “Canadian” Culture?

What is culture?

The sum total of the social environment in which we are raised and continue to be socialized throughout our lives. It entails a wide assortment of shared and contested ideas, customs, behaviours, and practices that in turn, shape the attitudes and behaviours of members of that culture.

Basic elements of culture set the foundation for our expectations and behaviours, which are rooted in geography, climate, language, norms, and values, as well as the existing artifacts of “our” time and the traditions passed down to us from previous generations.

Although many of our decisions in life involve some level of individual “choice,” engaging our sociological imaginations means we look for the ways those choices are intertwined with larger sociocultural forces, such as the culture in which we are raised. It is precisely this culture that informs many (but not all) Canadians about the pleasures of eating poutine or pizza on a Friday night and similarly fails to teach just as many (but not all) Canadians to prefer black pudding (a type of sausage usually made with the coagulated blood of pigs that is popular in Britain) or balut (a hard-boiled egg containing a fertilized duck embryo that is a delicacy in Asia). Similarly, through socialization practices (see Chapter 4), Canadians come to share cultural ideas about what is important (e.g., publicly funded education and healthcare), and how to behave (e.g., by following certain rules such as paying taxes, and engaging in cultural practices such as gift giving on special occasions like birthdays and weddings, or tipping service providers in sit-down restaurants and hair salons).

Cultural universals

Common practices shared by all societies and cultures. All societies and cultures differ in numerous ways, yet all share certain features like securing food, clothing, shelter, forms of communication, familial structures, all societies implement ways to use tools; and all societies come up with means for self-expression.

Two types of culture

Material and nonmaterial culture both contribute to our understandings of ourselves and the world around us.

Material Culture

Tangible or physical items that people have created for use in and give meaning to in a given culture. People attach importance to material objects, these objects have a central role in cultures. For ex, articles of clothing and other consumer goods, various forms of housing, buildings including schools and places of worship, means of transportation, tools, and works of art.

Nonmaterial culture

Intangibles produced by intellectual or spiritual development; also, the use of artifacts in a given culture (meanings that people attach to such). For example, language, knowledge, symbols, customs, morals, beliefs, and practices that help organize and give meaning to our social world.

Cultural diffusion

the spread of material and nonmaterial aspects of culture from one social group to another through various means including communication, trade, intermarriage, immigration, and technology.

For example, English is the most commonly spoken language throughout the world today largely due to early Eurocentric imperialism and trade. Much of Canada’s diverse cuisine and staple foods originate in other cultures. Pizza originated in Naples, Italy in the 1700s but didn’t leave its borders until the 1940s.

Culture Shock

Individuals who travel abroad or immigrate to countries with vastly different cultures from their own experience culture shock, a sense of disorientation and confusion that results when placed in unfamiliar surroundings where objects, practices, ­language, and rules are new or unknown.

high culture

activities shared mainly by the social elite, who supposedly possess an appreciation for this culture and the resources necessary to immerse themselves in it (i.e., wealth and higher education).

High culture consists of the many forms of creative and performing arts (e.g., visual, theatre, and music). Famous Canadian performing arts include the Canadian Opera Company, the Stratford Festival, the Montréal Symphony Orchestra, and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet.

social reproduction of classes

According to French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu (1930–2002), cultural and educational practices lead to the social reproduction of classes.

Those in the higher classes have more financial resources, and this allows more exposure to high culture; also, they have been socialized by their families and by their education to understand and appreciate various aspects of that culture.

Members of the social elite then pass on their shared understanding and appreciation of high culture to future generations as a social asset (Bourdieu, 1973).

Status symbols

material indicators of wealth and prestige including imported luxury cars (Ferrari, Porsche, and Rolls-Royce), designer clothing and jewellery (Gucci, Chanel, and Hermès), and paintings by highly praised artists (Van Gogh, Picasso, and Cèzanne).

Participants in this elite culture can be distinguished from lower classes based on their status symbols.

Popular Culture

Well-liked everyday ultural practices and products most desired by the masses.

Canadian popular culture encompasses movies and television series, social media such as Twitter and Instagram, and heavily marketed products that may or may not originate in Canada (e.g., the latest Fitbit, Lego, Barbie, vintage-inspired jeans, and Canada Goose parkas). Popular culture also includes well-established spots to eat, drink, or shop, such as McDonald’s, Tim Hortons, and Lululemon.

One way to consider popular culture is to view it as “the culture that is left over after we have decided what is high culture”; however, it can also be considered a power struggle involving dominant and subordinate classes, a venue for distinguishing various social groups from the dominant one, or simply as aspects of culture that are widely favoured or well liked by both the general masses and the social elite

Ideology

A set of ideas that support the needs and views of a particular group. Critical approaches view pop culture from the perspective of ideology.

Conflict theorists generally view popular culture as a means for the ruling class to control the masses. John Fiske (2010) explains that popular culture is intricately tied into capitalism because it is the producers who determine what exists for the masses to consume. But this is not a one-way relationship, and the links between the two are important for understanding how the masses themselves help shape popular culture. Specifically, the masses impart their own meanings to the objects created by the capitalists and in doing so play an important role in shaping the face of consumerism. For example, when asked why jeans are so popular, Fiske’s students explained that wearing jeans gives them the freedom to “be themselves.” Paradoxically, the students felt they were expressing individuality even while conforming to the dress patterns of the wider group. Although producers of jeans are obviously out to make a profit, capitalism as an ideology is not directly transmitted into the commodities it produces.

Language in culture, Mother tongue

Language is a central component of culture as it contributes to identity, cultural diversity, and freedom of expression.

Mother tongue refers to the first language learned at home in childhood that is still understood by an individual at the time the information on language is collected. If a person learned two languages in childhood (and still understands them), the mother tongue is the language that was spoken most often at home prior to starting school.

Is high culture truly exclusive to the high class?

the original emphasis on elites consuming and reproducing high culture while the masses are engaged in popular forms of culture bears little resemblance to today’s consumption patterns. Someone with a low income may forego buying tickets to the symphony but can still enjoy the very best performances on YouTube. And anyone with talent and ambition might become an overnight sensation or consumer “influencer” as a function of social media. Sociologist Richard Peterson (1992) notes that although those in the upper classes are still more likely than those in the lower classes to appreciate certain features of high culture (e.g., symphonic music) and to participate in some of the more traditionally elite activities (e.g., attending the opera and owning art collections), they are also very likely to enjoy various genres of music and participate in pop culture. Peterson used the term “cultural omnivores” to describe those of high social standing who enjoy high culture and are just as likely to participate in non-elite activities, whereas Storey (2018) suggests the postmodern era, in its blurring of the distinction between high and popular culture, may be contributing to the end of this form of “elitism.”